Most Ticketed Car in America Is Subaru WRX

The most ticketed car in America is the Subaru WRX, according to a new study by Insurance.com.

The study looked at 526 vehicles and 550,000 drivers and discovered that 33.6 percent of WRX drivers had a recent traffic violation on their records.

Scion is the most ticketed brand overall, the study said.

FOSTER CITY, California — The most ticketed car in America is the Subaru WRX and Scion is the most ticketed brand overall.

That's the conclusion of a new study by Insurance.com. The online insurance information site analyzed quote-request information submitted by more than 550,000 drivers and discovered that 33.6 percent of WRX drivers had a recent traffic violation on their records.

Even the mild-mannered Toyota Prius C hybrid made the list, with 27 percent of drivers being hit with recent tickets.

For all models, 19.9 percent of drivers reported having a traffic violation — usually speeding, but also such offenses as failure to yield and drunken driving — within the past three years.

Although there are a few notable sporty and performance cars in the Top 20, there are also quite a number of arguably white-bread models.

How to explain these seemingly incongruous results?

For one thing, "it's not about horsepower," explained Insurance.com Managing Editor Des Toups in a statement. "The Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper and Nissan GT-R rank well below average for tickets even though they can easily double the highest speed limits. But those cars are also costly, so their buyers tend to be older and take fewer risks."

Younger drivers — those who are often driving the ticket magnets near the top of the list — tend to receive a greater number of traffic violations than the older drivers who are more likely to buy the more glamorous and pricey models.

Another factor: Insurance.com excluded cars from the study if fewer than 50 quotes for that model were requested on the site. So, for example, it's possible that 100 percent of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 drivers have gotten recent tickets. The same goes for Ferraris, Lamborghinis and other exotics.